Brown Trout

The waters of the Upper Teign Fishing Association offer many miles of fly fishing for brown trout at a modest cost.

This is a clear fast-flowing river and well suited to all styles of dry fly, wet fly and nymph fishing.

A 12-inch brown safely in the net

You will be fishing in superb surroundings and should not expect to catch large numbers of big fish. Your catch may be dominated by lots of 6 or 8 inch fish. Catching these is no easier than taking one of our larger residents! A good day would be one in which you take a couple of 8 or 10 inch fish per hour and if you persist you may well connect with a 12 or 14 inch fish. The largest of our brown trout are usually hooked by salmon fishers on spinners or by sea-trout anglers at night and these specimens can go up to 20 inches. Given fair conditions it is easily possible to catch ten or more fish in a session.

Most of the water provides fishing for wild brown trout only but supplementary stocking is carried out on the stretch from about a mile above Fingle Bridge to about a mile below Fingle Bridge.

Trout fishing in rough water below Sharp Tor

The tree-lined banks make wading essential and although thigh waders can be used, many anglers now prefer body waders. Please note that the wading is not easy in many parts of the river. There are deep pots and angled slabs which you will slip on, even with felt soles on your waders. The use of a wading staff and a life jacket is strongly recommenced.

Upstream of Drogo Weir the Teign is a small stream where a short rod of 7 ft to

7 ft 6 in helps to avoid the overhanging trees, but a longer rod of 8 ft to

8 ft 6 in can give better control from Drogo Weir to Steps Bridge, where the river becomes bigger.

Casting a fly in Holly Pit (left) and netting a trout at Daubeney's Pit

In the early weeks of the season the brown trout are often lying deep and many anglers opt for a fast-sinking fly like a copper or gold head Hare's Ear Nymph or Pheasant Tail Nymph. From late April on, the dry fly becomes increasingly effective and popular patterns like Black Gnat, Elk Hair Sedge, Adams, Grey Duster and many others work well. However, when few fish are rising, a New Zealand rig with a heavily-dressed Klinkhamer as indicator and a small goldhead nymph on the point can be very productive. And traditional Devon patterns like Half Stone, Pheasant Tail or Blue Upright - fished wet or dry - are always worth a try.

Some popular flies for Teign trout (place curser on picture for pattern)

The season for the brown trout starts on 15 March and ends on 30 September, with the best of the fishing in May, June and early July, though fishing can be good at any time given the right weather and sufficient water in the river.

All brown trout must be released back to the water as quickly and as carefully as possible on the entire UTFA water. To this end the use of barbless or de-barbed hooks when fishing for brown trout is recommended.

Brown trout membership enquiries to the membership secretary:

Chris Hall
hall.skaigh@googlemail.com  
Tel: 01837 840420

Brown trout on dry fly (Klinkhamer) ....and on wet fly (Half Stone)